The Start
by belleowl
Summary: This is Percy's POV of the final battle and right before it. This is now a one-shot seeing as how I won't contunie it. The story can stand alone however.


A/N Ok so here I am writing a story. You're probably all wondering why this isn't a chapter of The Dursleys Read. I have lost some momentum, but don't worry I will finish it. In the meantime please enjoy reading about Percy, and a few others at the end of and after the war, well possibly if I continue.

Percy Weasly sunk into his desk chair. His red hair was tangled, and had bags under his eyes. If you looked closely enough you could even spot grey in his once vibrant red hair. His head pounding and feet aching, he wearily turned to the stacks of paper lying on his desk. Hs eyes watered and he dropped them turning away, his mind began to wander.

Thoughts of his family sprang into his mind. He angrily forced them away. No time to think of them. No time for anything really, but Percy didn't want to think of his family now. Ever, he thought bitterly, but if he was truthful he knew his family had been right. He had been wrong. Voldemort was back and powerful, his stomach ached a little bit at that. There was nothing stopping him from going to the Burrow or his Great Aunt Muriel's, and finding them. Except there was. Percy knew about the trail. It was bloody annoying, but he knew about the trail. He couldn't go anywhere near his family without putting them all in danger. Percy tried again to forced his family to the back of his mind. He swirled around in his chair. The clock over his desk said it was almost midnight. What was he still doing at the ministry?

At one point he would have been long gone from the ministry. He would have been with his family, or his girlfriend. Ex-Girlfriend he reminded himself. Penelope hadn't been thrilled at his choices. He had been ambitious, he had been a fool. She had tried to tell him. It had been the day of his graduation.

"Perce, are you excited!" He had studied her. She had been bouncing she was so excited. Her brown hair had been tamed into a pretty braid that hung down her back. Her eyes shown with excitement. She was the head girl to his head boy. They each had a speech clutched in hand. Percy knew his almost by heart. "Percy, Percy, are you still here?"

"Sorry, yeah I guess I'm excited." He hadn't been able to force any excitement into his voice. Looking back on it he must have sounded... dead. Penelope had mistaken this for nerves.

"It's ok Perce everyone gets nervous. I've heard your speech though, it;s fantastic. You'll be great of course after Hogwarts can still be a bit uncertain at times but it won't be bad. You'll find a job. I know you wanted to work at the ministry but-":

"Penelope I accepted the job at the ministry."

"You did? Why didn't you tell me. You must have known for ages. I though you just didn't want to talk about it because they turned you down."

" I just didn't feel like discussing it with you." Percy had watched the hurt flare up into Penelope's eyes.

"We talk about everything else. I told you about my job."

Percy didn't want to admit that had been the problem. Penelope had an interesting job, she was going to be apprenticing with a master potion maker. She was thrilled to have been accepted. Percy had applied to various places in the ministry. He had been turned down quite a few times. He had finally applied under Mr. Crouch who had accepted him. He wasn't thrilled at the department but it was a start, and Mr. Crouch was very respectable. Still Penelope babbling away at how thrilling her job had gotten quite annoying.

"Yes well I just didn't think you'd be interested in my job."

"Of course I would have been!" She snapped looking him in the eye. Percy turned away.

" You haven't been interested in anything recently except your job," Percy snapped back.

Percy still turned away didn't see Penelope's eyes flash angrily. She turned away, slamming the door behind her. Percy sighed. He had more important things to worry about anyway. He wouldn't worry about anything that would hold him back at the ministry. That would be all he would worry about, the ministry. That had been the beginning of the end. He had always sided with the ministry after that.

He had made up with Penelope after they graduated. They had a rocky relationship. Percy was prone to staying at the ministry late, and ignoring Penelope when he was busy at work. She put up with at first, but soon she got annoyed at Percy choosing work over her.

It had been a week since Penelope had last heard from Percy. She turned towards her cottage window, looking for the owl she knew wouldn't come. Sighing she set to making diner. Her job had been going well. It was hard, but rewarding.

She set the pot on the stove waving her wand to start a fire. Her thoughts once again turned towards Percy. She had sent him an owl ever day this week, no response. She turned back to the pan. Her soup had boiled over. Suddenly angry she vanished the soup and turned to the fire. Flooing straight to the ministry, that's where he'd be anyway. No need to try his house. She stalked up to floor 18, to Percy's office. Where she found him sound asleep one a pile of documents.

Her anger vanished. Sighing she removed his glasses, and conquered a pillow. Maybe he'd owl her tomorrow. But he didn't.

They barley spoke until he owled her to invite her to his new flat. Penelope was a bit annoyed why hadn't he mentioned he was looking for a flat. She could have helped him look. She shook her head, she was being silly. Why would Percy tell her that, no need. She floo'd over. He had proceeded to tell her what rubbish Harry Potter had spun at the Triwizard tournament.

"Are you sure it was rubbish Perce?" Penelope asked carefully.

"Of course it was, the minister himself said so." Penelope's brow furrowed. So this was the ministry's opinion.

"What about Dumbledore? He believed it?" Percy looked annoyed.

"Dumbledore is very old and taking the word of a delusional, and attention seeking little boy." Percy replied angrily. "As far as the ministry is concerned the whole thing is rubbish" Penelope was surprised. Harry Potter was best mates with Percy's younger brother Ronald. Penelope had always though Harry was a little shy, and very modest. Even after he had saved Ginny Weasly Percy's sister. Trying to change the subject ,

"Why did you get a flat Percy?" Percy's face reddened. How cute! Penelope thought, is he embarrassed he wanted to be on his own? Percy shook his head.

"My family agrees with Potter. They're going against the ministry!" Penelope blinked.

"So you're trying to separate yourself for awhile just to be able to figure out what you think?"

"No. I know that I agree with the ministry. I don't think I can associate with my... with well I think my parents are hurting my career. So I've left them."

Penelope's eyes started prickling. Percy had left his family because they were inconvenient for his career. She blinked away angry tears.

"Percy that is ridiculous! Family is family. You love them."

"No I don't."

" Family is important to me." Percy just looked at her.

" Percy you can't just leave your family. You're pushing everyone away! "

"It's my life Penelope I can do whatever I please."

"You know you leave me for weeks without a message, and you abandon your family. That's not just your life. It's mine too!" Percy blinked.

"Penelope, I think your job is too stressful for you. If you're going to support me at the ministry you need to find a better job."

"Percy... I wait what?"

" I found a position for you. It's a very basic opening starter-level but it is at the ministry. So of course it's very good for you. It'll look so much better if my wife works at the ministry."

"Wife! Percy I never agreed to marry you, I don't think I even want to date you right now. You're very different from who you use to be." Percy turned away from Penelope,

"If that's how you feel please leave my flat." Penelope started at the formal tone of voice Percy used.

"Fine but just so we're clear, I'm done. I'm not coming back Percy. I thought you were better that this."

"Get out!" Percy snapped turning around suddenly. Grabbing Percy's floo jar off of the mantle Penelope threw the whole thing into the fire. The Jar exploded, as Penelope stepped in, and she was gone.

Percy's eyes watered as he walked to the deserted lift. He sighed going home to his empty flat for the first time in 24 hours. Voldemort had been sending orders down the chain. His superiors were worried if they didn't preform well they would have to answer to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named himself they took their stress out on the rest of the workers, like Percy. Passing posters of Harry Potter didn't make Percy feel any better. He had been right, of course he had, Harry had never lied before. Why had he been so blind?

A/N so what do you think? Worth continuing it will follow more people than Percy but I liked this as an opening chapter. Whole thing will be cannon.


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